The present invention relates beverage dispensing. More particularly, the present invention relates to portable beverage dispensing systems.
Portable beverage dispensing systems have been produced that facilitate the dispensing of various beverages at locations other than stationary fountain stations such as bars. For instance, several such beverage dispensing systems have been described in assignee""s U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,253,960, 5,411,179, 5,553,749, 6,021,922, 6,216,913, 6,234,349.
Such beverage systems utilize pressurized gas (e.g., carbon dioxide (CO2)) as both a fluid driving mechanism and as means to carbonate water for carbonated drinks such as soft drinks. With such systems, carbonated and other drinks can be supplied to persons in remote locations through use of an appropriate delivery vehicle. For instance, the portable beverage dispensing systems can be provided within push carts and used on passenger craft such as airplanes and trains. Similarly, the systems can be provided in electric or gas-powered carts commonly used on golf courses.
Despite the convenience provided by of these beverage dispensing systems, impediments to their wide-spread implementation exist. Perhaps the most significant of these impediments relates to the containers that are used within the systems to store the various liquids that are to be dispensed. Generally speaking, the beverage dispensing systems use specially-designed, relatively low volume containers for soft drink syrups, juice concentrates, and the other stored liquids due to space constraints of the delivery vehicles (e.g., carts) in which the systems are installed. Although some beverage producers have filled such special containers for the beverage dispensing systems, there has been resistance from some producers in that it is more inconvenient, and more expensive, to fill non-standard containers. Instead, such producers much prefer filling widely-used containers for which they already have existing filling machines. One example is soft drink producers who typically fill 2.5 or 5 gallon bag-in-box (BIB) containers for fountain drink applications.
Although attempts have been made to integrate standard containers, such as BIB containers, in portable beverage dispensing systems, this integration has created complications in terms of physically fitting the containers in the delivery vehicles, the increased weight of the delivery vehicle, and increased driving gas consumption.
From the above, it is apparent that it would be desirable to have a portable beverage system that is configured so as to permit utilization of standard containers, such as BIB containers.
The present disclosure relates to a beverage dispensing system. In one arrangement, the beverage dispensing system comprises a self-contained, removable container unit, the container unit including at least one liquid container that is adapted to store a liquid therein, and a source of gas under pressure that provides a driving mechanism for delivering liquid from the at least one liquid container of the removable container unit.
In addition, the present disclosure relates to liquid containers for beverage dispensing systems. In one arrangement, the liquid containers can comprise an exterior vessel that forms an interior space that is adapted to receive pressurized gas, a pliable bag that is adapted to be placed within interior space of the exterior vessel, and an adapter that is adapted to connect the pliable bag to the exterior vessel.
In another arrangement, the liquid containers can comprise a bottle that includes a body and a neck, and a bottle coupler that is adapted to connect to the bottle, the bottle coupler comprising a liquid passage through which liquid can travel into and out from the bottle and a gas passage through which pressurized air can pass into and out from the bottle.